Birds of Steel: The Air Up There

Share.

Keeping it real in unfriendly skies.

By Luke Reilly

The German countryside stretches out beneath me for miles and miles, beyond the horizon. I'm cruising through the skies above the Ruhr area, Dortmund to be precise, in an Avro Lancaster. It's a simple free flight to let me absorb some of Birds of Steel's finer nuances before I delve into some combat. I notice a distinctly unnatural-looking waterway carving its way through the ground below and in the space of a thought I suddenly realise what it is, and where I am.

That manmade channel is the Dortmund-Ems Canal and I know of someone who was here, 67 years ago, in the air above it.

"Grab your egg and fours and let's get the bacon delivered!"

Press on Regardless. That was the motto of No. 463 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, which flew heavy bombers out of England as part of the RAF's Bomber Command during WWII. In proportion to its size, 463 Squadron sustained the highest loss rate of any of the Australian bomber squadrons.

My great uncle was a pilot in 463 Squadron until, at 21 years old, he and his crew were killed in action during a raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in November 1944. I'm flying over it, right now, impressed at the incredibly detailed tapestry of fields and pockets of forest that blanket the ground. It's certainly food-for-thought as I sit, slouched in front of an office TV, almost three-quarters-of-a-century later.

"Sausage squad up the blue end?"

Attention to detail is something I can appreciate in any game genre and Moscow-based outfit Gaijin Entertainment, the studio behind Birds of Steel, have certainly over-delivered on detail. Gaijin claims the game's locations are exact copies of the terrain during the Second World War and "players will appreciate not only the absolute realism thanks to satellite photography, but also the authentic historical component, which became possible with the use of maps used by commanders of the participating countries of WWII, urban landscape photos, and military installations of the time, as well as text descriptions of the terrain and strategically important facilities."

I can't personally say I know what the Ruhr or Port Moresby (or any of the game's other locations, for that matter) looked like from the air circa 1944, but the sprawling environments of Birds of Steel do ooze a certain authenticity about them. They impress at high altitude and low too; streaking across the deck at tree level in cockpit view seems one of the best ways to appreciate this game. The sense of speed is excellent and, because the ground isn't some painted-on facade, you can really get down low and feel it.

Birds of Steel is more or less the sequel to Gaijin's IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey in everything but name – and this is a very, very good thing. Say what you will about its unmarketable name, but IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is probably the best flight game you can buy today on current generation consoles.

"Slower banter? Banter's not the same if you say it slower, Squiffy."

Birds of Steel is positively brimming with content. There are a number of historical campaigns, a large haul of quick missions, co-op and multiplayer and, when you're tired of everything the game has to throw at you, the option to create your own custom missions. There are 100 planes to fly which represent a glut of gameplay variety, plus a swag of unlockable rewards. Even at this stage it feels like the Forza of flight; a love-letter to antique aircraft that doesn't want you to stop playing it.

Like Birds of Prey, Birds of Steel difficulty levels are layered. The simplified controls will suit most; they streamline things by making your aircraft's behaviour predicable and manageable. The higher level controls turn your plane into historical handfuls; you need to learn to respect their limits lest you'll find yourself spinning into a crater of your own creation.

Designed with a very specific audience in mind, but it looks ace. Review soon; keep your eyes on the skies.

Luke is Games Editor at IGN AU. You can track him via My IGN or chat to him and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia Facebook community. Think fast, look alive and die hard!